The Quarterly Report

April 19, 1998

Four times a year, The Courant will look back at its editorials on major subjects and update readers on the status of the issues raised. These were among the subjects brought up in January, February and March:

Six Pillars Of Progress

* Hartford's rebirth has been the subject of a score of editorials.

The capital city's renewal received a major boost in mid-March when Gov. John G. Rowland announced his ``Six Pillars of Progress'' proposal for $350 million in state seed money to support major downtown projects. Lawmakers need to follow through on that initiative by making the money available and creating a state economic development board that will oversee the state's investment.

Progress is being made on key projects in downtown Hartford, in particular the resolution of the Civic Center's future and the building of a higher education center and a convention center.

Deregulating Electricity

* Connecticut, with its high energy costs, needs a competitive electric power industry that will offer lower rates to consumers.

After three years of study, the General Assembly finally passed a restructuring bill last week. If the law works as intended, customers will have a choice of electricity suppliers beginning in 2000 -- and a rate reduction by 10 percent for four years to boot.

There is no guarantee of success, of course. It will be up to the lawmakers and the utilities' customers to ensure that the groundbreaking law fulfills the promises made by its supporters.

Campaign Reform

* Cleaning up the way we finance election campaigns has been a high priority, revisited in several editorials. Sadly and predictably, reform fizzled again in Congress, despite the glare of publicity generated by money-grubbing abuses in the 1996 presidential and congressional campaigns.

The spark of reform caught fire in Connecticut, however. The legislature recently passed a bill that would prohibit state and local political parties from accepting soft-money contributions from the national party organizations. Only one other state, Alaska, bans such contributions. This is a big step forward, but only a step on a long journey toward public financing of campaigns.

What Sort Of Tax Reform?

* Mr. Rowland's proposed $100 individual tax rebate at election time is a campaign gimmick and little else. But so far, the legislature hasn't done much better. The finance committee has produced a grab-bag of cuts in the sales, gas, income and property taxes. Such a scattershot approach is unsound. Any tax package the legislature adopts this session should focus on significant property-tax relief.

Regional Interdependence

* Greater cooperation among municipalities will boost regional economies and the quality of life. A revolutionary way to cooperate is through the creation of regional asset districts, which would apportion a percentage of the existing revenue from the sales tax to public projects, such as parks and museums. The projects would benefit an entire region by attracting more people and more business investment.

Last month, a bill to create regional asset districts cleared its first hurdle when it was approved by the legislature's finance committee. But lawmakers appear leery of committing the amount of state tax revenue that's needed to make the idea work. Elected officials and business leaders across the state should tell their legislators to take the bold step.

Schools, Schools, Schools

* Improving public education must remain at the top of the state's agenda. The governor has proposed to spend an additional $500 million over the next few years for more teachers, curriculum improvement and school renovations. The legislature should implement this worthy goal.

Higher Education

* Connecticut is tops in the nation in exporting college students. Publicly funded scholarships to keep bright high schoolers at home for college is a must if the state is to maintain a well-trained work force. Lawmakers should pass a bill to pay tuition and fees at the state's public colleges and universities for eligible high school graduates. The students would have to maintain a B average to continue to receive a free education.

CHRO's Long-Running Soap

* Controversy continues at the embattled state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Louis Martin, the executive director, is under investigation by the State Ethics Commission and auditors. He should be replaced. But he remains on paid leave, and the commissioners who oversee the civil rights agency say that Mr. Martin can reapply for his job as part of the search process for a new executive director. That's not a joke!

First, Fix Parking

* Hartford's parking mess is still a mess, but city hall has started to chip away at it by hiring a consultant. State help from the ``Six Pillars of Progress'' initiative could produce more downtown parking garages. In the meantime, outrageous disclosures about price-gouging by the operators of private lots during the NCAA Tournament should spur regulatory efforts.